Dummy bar handling system

ABSTRACT

The disclosure of the present invention relates to a dummy bar handling system for use in a single or multistrand continuous casting machine. It includes a traversable support beam on one side of the run-out table and movable to and from a position over the table by a piston cylinder assembly. The beam carries one or more pivotal arms, the lower end of which is designed to carry a dummy bar assembly. The lowering of the arm places the dummy bar on the rollers of the run-out table from where the bar is advanced by the rollers to the pinch rolls of the casting machine. When the bar has served its purpose and is returned to the run-out table, the arm will pick up the bar and carry it to a storage station.

United States Patent Greenherger et al.

[54] DUMMY BAR HANDLING SYSTEM [72] Inventors: Joseph Irwin Greenberger, Pittsburgh; Joseph James Ciochetto, Allison Park, both of Pa.

[73] Assigneel United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: March 17, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 125,042

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data April 23, 1970 Great Britain ..19,s71/-7o [52] U.S. Cl. ..l64/274, 214/1 BB [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d 11/08 [58] Field of Search ..164/274, 282, 283, 82, 269,

l64/52, 69, 70, 252, 263, 269; 2l4/1 BB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,612,148 10/1971 Waldschmidt", ..l64/269 3,528,486 9/1970 Heinzgolde ..164/282 l 1 Oct. 17,1972

3,548,920 12/1970 Torban ......"......16'4/2s2 3,608,620 9/1971 Primary Examiner-J. Spencer Overholser Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown Attorney-Henry C. Westin [57] v ABSTRACT The disclosure of the present invention relates to a dummy bar handling system for use in a single or multistrand continuous casting machine. it includes a traversable support beam on one side of the run-out table and movable to and from a position overthe table by a piston cylinder assembly. The beam carries one or more pivotal arms, the lower end of which is designed to carry a dummy bar assembly. The lowering of the arm places the dummy bar on the rollers of v the run-out table from where the bar is advanced by the rollers to the pinch rolls of the casting machine. When the bar has served its purpose and is returned to the run-out table, the arm will pick up the bar and carry it to a storage station.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Bollig; ..l64/282' DUMMY BAR HANDLING SYSTEM Inthe operation of a casting machine, it is customary to provide either a horizontal discharge dummy bar system or a vertical system, depending on whether the casting machine is a low-level type or an upright type.

, which has been greatly compounded when there were several barsemployed, as in the case of a multi-strand casting machine.

One of the objects that has been greatly sought after I in the horizontal system is to have the dummy bars removed from and retumed' to the run-out table without the use of a crane, truck, or similar devices. In addition, it must be possible to use the bars independently of each other, particularly during'the initial period of casting."

Ideally, the dummy bars should not be left over the run-out table when not in use, thereby giving a crane ready access to the table area in addition to avoiding the detrimental effects of the heat on the bars produced by the case products and the possible entanglement thereof with the supporting equipment upon a cobble.

Another object is that the dummy bars, while leftin the vicinity of the casting machine, when not being used should be stored in a manner that permits easy service and maintenance. Lastly, if at all possible, the design should be such as not to require an additional pinch roll machine to advance the bars to the casting machine. Employment of a rolling mill in the casting line greatly adds to the difficulty of obtaining these im i portant objects and advantages.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a dummy bar handling system employable for one or more bars which, in an economical, efficient, troublefree .way, accomplishes each and every one of the aforesaid objects. Particularly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide in combination with a run-out table of a continuous casting machine a dummy bar handling system comprising a traversable beam, means for supporting said beam on one side of said run-out table, means for moving said beam from a position to one side of said table to a position over said table, at least one dummy bar carrying means supported by said beam, means for moving said carrying means from a position spaced from said table to a position where the dummy bar is placed on said table.

Still more particularly, the present invention provides in combination with a casting machine, a run-out table including a number of sets of individually rotatable rollers, each set forming a conveying path to and from said casting machine, means for individually driving each set of rollers, a number of spaced-apart traversable beams, a plurality of drums arranged between said sets of rollers for supporting said beams on one side of said run-out table, means for moving said beams in unison from a position to one side of said runout table to a position over said table, a number of arms pivotally carried by said beams, said arms making up sets of arms arranged in the same longitudinal plane, carrying means supported by the lower ends of said arms in a manner that the arms of each set of arms serve to carry a dummy bar, said beams including a straight supporting surface engageable with said drums,

2 said supporting surfaces having spaced'openings'suffcient to receive said carrying members when said arms are in their uppermost positions, supporting surfaces formed on each of said carrying means arranged to form acontinuation of said support surfaces of said beams when said arms are in their uppermost positions, piston-cylinder assemblies for each set of arms for moving said sets of arms independently of said other set from a position above said run-out table to a position where the dummy barsare disposable on said table, said piston-cylinder assemblies having strokes sufficientto lower said carrying members below said rollers so that said dummy bars will be free to be advanced through said casting machine by said rollers and, upon returning therefrom, to be lifted from said rollers.

These objects and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better appreciated when the following description is read along with the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an over-all elevational view of a dummy bar handling system built in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1. i

In referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown in outline form four spaced-apart in-line rollers 10, 11, I2, and 13 which make up one traverse row of the rollers of the run-out table employed at the discharge end of a low level vertical continuous casting machine, not shown. Also not shown are the pinch rolls usually provided at the very end of the radius of the run-out section of the casting machine for urging the castings from the machine and the.dummy bars to the machine. In addition, in many cases there may be provided one or more rolling mills for each steel line along with a shear for each line. As will be noted later, the table rollers of each longitudinal row are independently driven and are .provided with corresponding in-line V-shaped contours corresponding to the two sides of thecasting, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Between the rollers 1013 and, more particularly, between the rollers 10 and I1 and between 12 and 13, and spaced above the rollers there. are provided two sets of four drums 14, 15, 16, and 17, the drums 14 and 15 being above the run-out table while the drums 16 and 17 are spaced to one side thereof. The two sets of drums, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, are provided with spaced-apart flanges and a flat supporting surface for individually supporting and carrying transversely arranged beams 21 and 22. The beams are also spaced apart and run parallel to each other, each beam being related to a set of drums 14-17. Carried by and spaced along the beams, as one views them from FIG. 2, there are provided equally spaced-apart trunnion shafts 23 which are related so that when the beams are in their operative positions, as shown in FIG. 1, the shafts generally overhand a portion of the adjacent rollers 10-13. Extending down from each shaft is an arm 24 having at its lower end a V-shaped dummy bar carrying member 25, the V" of the carrying member25 corresponding to the two sides of the dummy bar D, which is best illustrated in FIG. 2. Rigidl y securedto each of the shafts 23 is an upwardly extending arm 26, the

upper end of which is connected to a pair of pistons of the piston cylinder assemblies 27, the cylinders being mounted on a base 28 supported by the beams 2l'and 22. With reference to the operation of the piston cylinderassemblies 27, in referring to the arms 24 and the carrying members 25, as illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be noted that when the arms 24 are at the lowermost position, the carrying members 25 are disposed below the rollers -13 allowing a clearance between themselves and the dummy bars D. The middle roller shown in FIG. 2 with reference to the roller 11 illustrates in phantom two different sizes of the cast product to be produced and handled by the dummy bar handling equipment illustrated in the drawings. In still referring to the arms 24, it will be noted that on the lower side there are provided plates 29, the lower surfaces of which are flat and in which connection, when the arms are raised to their uppermost positions, as illustrated in FIG. 2 with reference to the second arm, the plates 29 fit into openings 31 which also receive the dummy bars and the members so that the plates 29 form a continuation of the support surfaces of the beams 21 and 22. An opening 31 is provided for each of the inner arms 24, whereas, for the outer arm, i.e., the arm associated with the roller 10, the beams are released so that the plate will assume a supporting relationship with the drums 14 and 15.

In referring to FIG. 2 and to complete the description of this figure, attention is called to the rows of rollers 10, 11 and 12, in which it will be noted that they are provided with separate motors 32, 33 and 34. These motors are controlled with reference to the motors that drive the rollers of the same longitudinal row of rollers so that the dummy bars are moved to and from the machine through the aid of the driven rollers. While the supports for the drums 14-17 are not illustrated in FIG. 1, they are shown in FIG. 2 and consist of upright members 35.

As illustrated in the figures and particularly FIG. 1, the beams are adapted to be displaced as a unit towards the right as one views the figure and to a place illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1. This displacement is carried on by the agency of a piston cylinder assembly 36 which is connected through a cross member 37 to the mounting means of a pinion 38, there being a pinion for each side of the unit as illustrated in FIG. 3. Associated with each pinion is a stationary rack 39 which has a support 41 arranged almost adjacent to the end of the cylinder 36. Towards the other end of the unit there is arranged in the same plane as the stationary racks 39 movable racks 43 supported by rack holders 44, which appear in both FIGS. 1 and 3. The lengths of the racks with reference to the stroke of the piston cylinder assembly 36 are such that they increase the travel by lOO per cent. In this regard, since the pinion 38 engages both of the racks 39 and 43 at the same time, on movement of the cylinder rod of the cylinder 36, the movable rack 43 is caused to move twice the distance of the cylinder rod. As shown in both FIGS. 1 and 3, the rack assembly is provided with spaced-apart guide rollers 46 and 47 which are arranged at the extreme ends of the rack assembly. Also in accordance with usual practice, the pinion-rack assembly is provided with stabilizers 49 which are only illustrated in FIG. 3.

In order to gain a better appreciation of the dummy bar carrying equipment illustrated in the drawing, it may be helpful to give some of the preambles of the equipment illustrated. It should be noted first that the illustrated employment of the present invention is designed to handle four separate'dummy bars from a 4- strand continuous casting machine capable of producing carbon steel billets ranging in size from 3 X 3 inches to 8 X 8 inches. The dummy bars themselves will be constructed according to usual practice and consist of a flexible link construction measuring in total length approximately 40 feet to which there will be attached, in the customary manner, a dummy bar head. The heads are readily disconnectable from the flexible sections of the dummy bars as the bars are brought to the run-out table, the dummy bars heads, of course, continuing on as part of the cast product until it is removed by shearing. As to the drums 14-17 of the illustrated arrangement, they are spaced apart approximately 6 feet. It will be appreciated that for each arm arrangement 24-26 there are provided two spaced-apart piston cylinder assemblies 27. Lastly, the six spaced-apart beams are carried by six sets of drums spaced apart approximately 6 feet.

A brief description of the operation of the illustrated dummy bar supporting device will now be given. Let it be assumed that the casting machine is in the process of casting and that the beams 21 and 22 are removed to the right of the run-out table to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 1. In this position the dummy bars can I be serviced and, particularly, the new heads for the next casting operation can be mounted without interfering in any way with the operation of the casting machine. Of equal importance is the fact that in the remote position the dummy bars allow free access to the run-out table, which is important for optimum realization of the production of the continuous casting machine. When the last casting has been performed and it is desirable to bring the dummy bars D into the casting machine, the piston cylinder assembly 36 is operated to advance the beams 21 and 22 as a unit from the phantom-line position in FIG. 1 to the full-line position wherein the arms 24 are brought over the runout table and, more particularly, the rollers 10-13. In the advancement of the beams, the cylinders 27 will have been operated, of course, to place the plates 29 into the position shown by the middle arm of FIG. 2 so that the beams possess continuous supporting surfaces for their advancement over the drums 14-17.

When positioned over the run-out table, the cylinders 27 of any set can be operated in unison so as to lower the dummy bars onto the table. Independent operation of the cylinders 27 of any one set is not particularly important when bringing the dummy bars into the casting machine. However, it is important when the dummy bars are moved away from the casting machine, since, on many occasions, the casting will not come out of the machine at the same time and, therefore, may require separate handling.

Turning now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that, as the cylinders 27 are operated, the dummy bars are lowered until the carrying members 25 fall below the rollers 10-13 and the dummy bars D are placed on the rollers which are then operated to advance the dummy bars into the casting machine. When casting has comout table, it being understood, of course, that as they approach the dummy bar handling equipment, the dummy bar head will have been removed so that, as they advance over the members 25, the cylinders 27 can be operated again once the dummy bar has passed each of the arms 24 of a particular set to raise the dummy bars off the rollers -13. This operation can be carried out extremely efficiently and in such a quick manner that there will be no interruption of the casting procedure. Once each of the dummy bars has been so raised off the rollers and has been brought into the openings 31 so that the plates 29 form a continuation of the support surface of the beams, the cylinder 36 can be again .operated to retract the beams 21-22 as a unit to the remote position.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;

We claim:

1. In combination with a casting machine,

a run-out table including a number of sets of rotatable rollers, each set forming a conveying path to and from said casting machine,

means for driving said sets of rollers,

a number of spaced-apart traversable beams,

means for moving said beams from a position to one side of said run-out table to a position over said table,

a number of arms pivotally carried by said beams,

said arms making up sets of arms arranged in the same longitudinal plane,

carrying means supported by the lower ends of said arms in a manner that the arms of each set of arms serve to carry a dummy bar, and I j I mean for each set of arms for moving said sets '0 arms from a position above said run-out table to a position where the dummy bars are disposable on said table. 2. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1, in which said means for driving said sets of rollers include individual driving means for each set.

3. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1 in which said meansfor moving said beams include means for causing said beams to move in unison.

4. In combinationwith a casting machine according to claim 1 in which said means for moving said sets of arms include piston cylinder assemblies,

said piston cylinder assemblies having strokes sufficient to lower said carrying member below said supporting surfaces having space openings sufficient to receive said carrying means w en said arms are in their uppermost positions,

supporting surfaces formed on each of said carrying means arranged to form a continuation of said support surfaces of said beams when said arms are in their uppermost positions. 

1. In combination with a casting machine, a run-out table including a number of sets of rotatable rollers, each set forming a conveying path to and from said casting machine, means for driving said sets of rollers, a number of spaced-apart traversable beams, means for moving said beams from a position to one side of said run-out table to a position over said table, a number of arms pivotally carried by said beams, said arms making up sets of arms arranged in the same longitudinal plane, carrying means supported by the lower ends of said arms in a manner that the arms of each set of arms serve to carry a dummy bar, and mean for each set of arms for moving said sets of arms from a position above said run-out table to a position where the dummy bars are disposable on said table.
 2. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1, in which said means for driving said sets of rollers include individual driving means for each set.
 3. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1 in which said means for moving said beams include means for causing said beams to move in unison.
 4. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1 in which said means for moving said sets of arms include piston cylinder assemblies, said piston cylinder assemblies having strokes sufficient to lower said carrying member below said rollers so that said dummy bars will be free to be advanced to said casting machine by said rollers and, upon returning therefrom, to be lifted from said rollers.
 5. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 1 including a plurality of drums arranged between said sets of rollers for supporting said beams on one side of and above said run-out table.
 6. In combination with a casting machine according to claim 5 in which said beams each include a straight supporting surface engageable with said drums, said supporting surfaces having spaced openings sufficient to receive said carrying means when said arms are in their uppermost positions, supporting surfaces formed on each of said carrying means arranged to form a continuation of said support surfaces of said beams when said arms are in their uppermost positions. 